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Not surprisingly…I’ve been doing some pondering on my work, as of late. My classes have almost come to an end. I know that this sounds odd…but that’s kind of a relief for me. Classes are intense, as you work all week to prepare for them, then you have the class…then you’re back into prep. mode. Just like any class, really…there’s homework. I’m looking forward to a break from homework. The good think about classes is what you learn and the regular schedule of doing work. The bad thing is that it sets of a certain rhythm to what you do. I need out of that rhythm for a while.

In this break between classes…I think that I’m going to really try to focus on the process behind my work, and relinquish all of my goals of product. I know. Why do that? I think that my concern for making a good product is inhibiting, or taking some of the joy out of, the process. Embrace failure. This is not easy for me to do. I’m kind of failure-phobic. Not that I haven’t failed much…of course I have. Lots of times. I just don’t like it. Well…now I’m going to try to get more comfortable with it. Any suggestions on how best to do this…LET ME KNOW!

This week’s print class in Cambridge was a bit deflating. I was running late, which already sets one up for stress. Then, my prints just weren’t coming together. It’s one of those cases where I probably should have just skipped class in order to provide some sanity, but I didn’t. I went anyway. I only managed to print three things before I ran out of steam. I need to refill the energy stores.

That print above was not what I wanted. I was also adjusting the pressure on the press, which didn’t help.

These colors are better…but the pressure the press was seriously off. Final one:

Much better. The pressure on the press was finally working for me. See the fine lines in this one? They were lost on the last one. It’s a bit dark, but I was happy enough with it.

I recently went to the Danforth Museum to see their current exhibit. This is a juried show, and there are lots of local artists in it. I think that I knew at least 5 of the artists who’s work was on exhibit. I loved it. I think that the Danforth is my new, favorite museum. If you live in Massachusetts…I highly recommend going now. Such great stuff. I think that I wrote down the names of around 20 artists who’s work I loved. Here is a short list:

Philip Gerstein (loved it)

Gene Mackles

C B Forsythe

Mary Tinker Hatch

Rachel Hellmann

Suzanne Hodes

Ilana Manolson

Beverly Rippel

Kathy Soles

Zsuzanna Szegedi

Gerri Rachins

I intentionally didn’t include any names of the people that I know! I thought that might be too biased…right? Well, forget that, actually… Catherine Kernan, Christiane Corcelle-Lippevald, Prilla Smith Brackett, Jill Hoy, Louise Kohrman, Adria Arch, Nancy Diessner, Elizabeth Flemings, Anita Hunt, Debra Olin, Iris Osterman, Julia Talcott. Some of those people I actually know…some of them I am just familiar with their work. Go see the show!

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Regarding failure, Jorge recently received the following fortune: “Success is failure after failure without loss of enthusiasm.” I loved it. He put it in his wallet as a reminder. Maybe another way to put it is success is not the lack of failure, but the result of multiple failures.